Tourism Policy in Jamaica: A Tale of Two Governments

This paper explores the role of public policy in the development of tourism in Jamaica. It focuses on two separate and contrasting periods. In the first, 1972–80, referred to here as 'The Socialist Era', the Jamaican government pursued goals of self-reliance combined with seeking to integrate tourism into Jamaican life. In the second period, 1980–89, 'The Period of Capitalism', emphasis was shifted to reducing government intervention and pursuing foreign exchange earnings. A comparison of tourism development during these two periods reveals that during the 'Socialist Era' some success was achieved in the Jamaicanisation of tourism but at the same time government policies contributed to an overall decline in the industry as measured by the traditional indicators of tourist arrivals, hotel occupancy, hotel provision and employment. During the 'Period of Capitalism' a change in policy is associated with a successful recovery of tourism numbers but an increasing tension between locals and tourists. The study cannot provide causal explanations of the links between policy shifts and tourism development. The wide range of external variables, including oil crises and world inflation, that occurred during the periods is too great to admit this kind of certainty. However, the policy background provides an important context for understanding the link between policy and development in one of the oldest and most well-developed tourist destinations in the Caribbean.     

Studying the effectiveness of conceptual design in secondary design and technology in England

The purpose of the study reported here was to investigate the effectiveness of a conceptual design unit as part of the Design and Technology curriculum for 14 years old pupils in England. One research question drove this study: What sort of designing do pupils do when they design without having to make what they have designed? Data consisted of the design ideas of a whole class developed during 6 lessons towards the end of an 18 lesson teaching sequence. Findings, which are in line with those of the pilot study, indicate that the pupils’ designing was highly iterative, creative, involved making a wide range of design decisions and revealed understanding of technological concepts.     

Examining Market Information and Brand Equity Through Resource‐Advantage Theory: A Carrier Perspective

To survive in this challenging economic environment, transportation providers must differentiate themselves in the eyes of current and potential customers. Consequently, they are seeking to develop superior resources that allow them to build greater awareness of and distinctive images for their brands. Those that are successful achieve higher levels of brand equity and, ultimately, positions of competitive advantage in the logistics services industry. This research applies resource‐advantage theory to investigate the role of market information in creating an informational advantage to build brand equity for transportation providers. Results from a survey of motor carriers indicate that informational advantage mediates the impact of market information resources on the levels of brand image and brand awareness, two dimensions of a firm’s brand equity.     

Integrated Conditional Moment testing of quantile regression models

In this paper we propose a consistent test of the linearity of quantile regression models, similar to the Integrated Conditional Moment (ICM) test of Bierens (1982) and Bierens and Ploberger (1997). This test requires re-estimation of the quantile regression model by minimizing the ICM test statistic with respect to the parameters. We apply this ICM test to examine the correctness of the functional form of three median regression wage equations.     

Researcher with a movie camera: visual ethnography in the field

This paper seeks to ‘promote’ the use of moving image visual ethnography within tourism research while concurrently acknowledging the methodological and practical challenges inherent in the use of this method. The paper introduces Dziga Vertov's 1929 Vertov, D. (Director). 1929. The man with the movie camera (duration: 67 minutes), Moscow: VUFKU.  [Google Scholar] groundbreaking film ‘The Man With the Movie Camera’ and argues that a certain parallel can be drawn between the film and contemporary moving image visual ethnography in so far as the latter is, like Vertov's film, about the glimpses of the everyday as perceived by the researcher/filmmaker. Important within this context is the role of the ‘self’ of the researcher, something further explored through a case study of academic filmmaking, a project which investigates the construction and consumption of images of Greekness by visitors to the Athenian Acropolis. This case also highlights the practical challenges involved in adopting this method and investigates various filming techniques which could successfully be used by tourism researchers to either ‘collect data’ or create ethnographic documentaries, which can in turn be used for a range of other academic and pedagogic purposes. The paper concludes that being a ‘researcher with a movie camera’ although challenging can prove to be remarkably fruitful and rewarding, especially in the context of tourism studies.     

Technology adoption and mitigation of invasive species damage and risk: application to zebra mussels

Using a bio-economic model of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), we examine the expected economic value of prevention, control and eradication alternatives for the freshwater mussel in Lake Okeechobee (Florida, USA). We include two emerging technologies for zebra mussel (ZM) control: (1) a natural pesticide called Zequanox, and (2) hot wash stations at boat ramps. We employ water management district data, user data collected via a phone survey, and mitigation expenditures from infested locations elsewhere to estimate the potential damage from the introduction of zebra mussels in Florida. Methods used include static cost transfer estimation, econometric cost estimation, and stochastic-dynamic simulation. We use our bio-economic model to compare costs and risks with and without the emerging technologies. We also consider the impact of technology adoption rates by anglers, management policy efficacy, and opportunity costs associated with ZM control. Results indicate that, without investment in prevention, there is a very high probability that Florida waterways will be infested with zebra mussels by year 2025, and expected environmental damages and management costs are high. Slow response due to poor detection methods or insufficient control efforts will lead to a moderate probability of a significant infestation. Rapid reaction and enhanced prevention efforts are expected to greatly reduce the probability of ZM infesting Lake Okeechobee by 2025, and to generate much higher expected net benefits.     

Radical innovation: triggering initiation of opportunity recognition and evaluation

The gap between a firm's reservoir of technical knowledge and the formation of a project to explore the commercial potential of a breakthrough technical insight or discovery is the first major discontinuity in the radical innovation lifecycle. The first step toward bridging that gap occurs when the researcher with the technical insight recognizes that it might have commercial potential and decides to alert a research manager. In our longitudinal study of eight radical innovation projects in six large, multi‐national, R&D‐intensive firms, the initiation of a radical innovation project was neither frequent nor routine. In fact the participants in the study indicated that the initiation of a project – in their terminology, the 'fuzzy front end of innovation'– was the most challenging and uncertain part of the lifecycle. In this paper we explore the case data to illuminate the nature of the initiation gap. In addition we present an assessment framework that can help researchers decide whether or not to bring their technical idea to the attention of management. If the decision is positive, the assessment tool can help them prepare for the discussion with management and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the case to submitted for evaluation.     

Union Mobilization: A Consideration of the Factors Affecting the Willingness of Union Members to Take Industrial Action

Drawing on mobilization theory, this article seeks to identify the factors that shape the willingness of union members to take industrial action. The study utilized data from a large‐scale survey (N = 1,111) carried out in a financial services union during the renegotiation of a collective bargaining contract. The results suggested that individuals were more willing to engage in industrial action when they experienced a sense of injustice or unfairness in the employment relationship and when they held a collectivist orientation to work. Moreover, their propensity to take industrial action was greater when they considered that their union was an effective instrument of power. Workplace representatives were also important, particularly when they were seen as being responsive to their members' needs in situations of perceived injustice. The implications for mobilization theory and for union strategy are discussed.